About Us

Atelier first opened in Bath September 2014 before expanding and opening its second site in Chippenham, Wiltshire in 2017. 

Offering two purposefully designed spaces for children aged 4 months to five years we provide a careful and seamless balance between care and education.

Each of our individually designed spaces allows children to explore and discover, so they may follow their interests and extend their understanding, skills and knowledge.

Children are given the freedom to explore the nursery at their own pace. Focused learning opportunities are planned on a daily basis, and resources are available to children at all times, allowing them to revisit, extend or adapt their interests and learning as they wish.

 Our Story So Far

In May 2013, it was announced that the nursery previously operating from our site in Bath was to close. Making 19 staff redundant as it closed its doors to the final 60 families using its service on August 30th.  Several of our current team, were amongst those made redundant.

Recognising the value that the nursery brought to the families accessing its services and the local community in which it was situated.  Liz and Clare decided that there was very much a need for a nursery to remain and so together, with Simon, we made a plan from which Atelier came.

Under the pressured time scale of just three months the nursery building was purchased and registered with Ofsted as a new provider which enabled the successful opening of our Bath nursery in the September.

Atelier Bath was high commended as Nursery of the Year in 2014. Since then we have built on the feedback of many professionals, increased the opportunities we offer to children, invested, reflected, and grown the business all of which led to an Ofsted Outstanding grading in 2014 but from here we have only sought to embed and develop practice further. Developing our pedagogy to include the permanent appointment of resident artists.  We have continued to focus upon the leadership of the nursery with strong role modelling and collaboration leading to us being announced as Nursery of the Year in 2016.

In late 2016 our Chippenham site became vacant and it felt the perfect location for us to widen the work we undertake with children and young families. Following a full refurbishment, we opened our doors to Chippenham families in May 2017. 

We are immensely proud of both our nurseries.  They each follow the same pedagogical approach, built on the same values and principles, yet reflect the differing dynamic of their individual communities.

 Why Choose Us

We would be the first to admit that we are a little bit quirky. We have been likened to Marmite and for that we’re really proud!  

We hold our values and vision close to our heart and these lead our practice daily and shape the care and teaching offered to each and every child. 

At Atelier, you won’t find a tabard or plastic toy insight.  Instead you will find a space full of imagination and creativity that carefully weaves all aspects of learning and development across our purposefully designed learning environments.

You will get professionalism, but it will come with a cup of coffee and a hug. 

You’ll get the highest quality of education, but it will come with an extra load of washing. 

You will get parental partnership, but it will come with an invite to camp over at our family festival.

Your child will receive all the professional love and care they need and more, but it will take you ten minutes longer to leave the building as your child will want to say goodbye to everyone who is special to them. 

We never take for granted how important your child is or the trust placed in, us as you leave your child in our care.

 Our Values & Principles

At Atelier we do things a little differently. We make no secret of the fact that we stand on the shoulders of many giants who have gone before us in the education of young children. 

The principles of the nursery are influenced from nationally and internationally recognised best practice. We have taken the elements that we believe work best for children and families from across the world, and rolled them into one special place: Atelier Nursery.